Posted on 03/28/2012 9:19:23 PM PDT by Salvation
Statues and Holy Pictures
by Sebastian R. Fama
Objections to the making and veneration of holy pictures and statues are based on faulty interpretations of Scripture. Those who are opposed to such practices traditionally appeal to Exodus 20:3-5: "You shall not have other Gods besides me. You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth. You shall not bow down before them or worship them."
God is not prohibiting the making of pictures and statues, but the deifying and worshipping of them. Note the first and last lines of the passage. Also consider what we find in Exodus 36:8 concerning the tabernacle curtains: "The various experts who were executing the work made the dwelling with its ten sheets woven of fine linen twined, having cherubim embroidered on them." And Exodus 37:7, concerning the Ark of the Covenant: "Two cherubim of beaten gold were made for the two ends of the mercy seat…"
In 1 Kings we read some of what was in Solomon's Temple: "In the sanctuary were two cherubim, each ten cubits high, made of olive wood" (6:23). "This rested on twelve oxen" (7:25). Finally, "On the panels between the frames there were lions, oxen and cherubim" (7:29).
Why did God ask that images be made for His Temple and the Ark of the Covenant? Do you suppose that He didn't understand His own commandment? Except for one late period, we see that not even the Old Testament Jews understood Exodus 20 to be an absolute prohibition on images. When we consider all that the Scriptures tell us, we can see that the views of that one period were an extreme and unnecessary attempt to obey a commandment. We see this same sort of thing happening in Matthew 12:10, when Jesus is accused of violating the Law because he healed on the Sabbath. The spirit of the Law was abandoned for the letter of the Law.
Pictures and statues of saints are valued in the same way that pictures of friends and family are. They are not idols, but visible reminders of what they represent. For idolatry to exist, a person must worship something or think of it as if it were God. A man who kisses a picture of his wife and children is not practicing idolatry. He is merely expressing love for his family. The same applies to pictures and statues of saints. Idolatry is an interior disposition. It is wrong to judge interior motives by what we think we see.
The lives of the saints are inspirational. Their images remind us of their testimony, which can encourage us in our own walk with God. In the early Church, when 99% of the people couldn't read and there were no readily available texts, statues, pictures and stained glass windows were the common man's Bible.
If Exodus 20 were to be taken in the strictest sense, just think what it would mean. Not only could you not have images of saints, but also no pictures of friends or family, no statues of George Washington, no paintings of Martin Luther, and no picture Bibles or dolls for children. After all, if the Bible strictly prohibits the making of images, then you can't do it for any reason.
The idea that the early Christians refrained from making images is a myth that has been refuted by archaeology. There are a number of examples that remain from the first centuries. The Catacombs were covered with paintings of the saints. One notable example of a sacred object being venerated in the early Church can be found in the city of Herculaneum. Herculaneum and Pompeii were destroyed by an eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in the year 79. Herculaneum was totally buried and was only uncovered in modern times. In one of the houses archeologists found a kneeler that was placed in front of what was once a cross or crucifix. Eusebius talks of color portraits of Peter, Paul and Jesus that remained to his own time (325 AD). He also mentions a statue of Jesus and the woman cured of a hemorrhage (Mark 5:25-34). He relates that the statue was in front of the woman's home (The History of the Church 7:18). Now if such practices are wrong but were common in the first century, why is there no condemnation of them in the New Testament? Certainly such a blasphemy would not have been overlooked.
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You can get any doctrine you want out of Scripture, if you wrest it enough. There is nothing at all pertaining to the conclusions Salvation and the Catholic Church get out of the Scriptures USED to support the idolatrous false doctrine of so called venerating statues, saints or other things.
Also, I am not a Catholic hater. Are you a homosexual hater because you stand against their sin? They also use Scripture to excuse and support their sin, wresting it of course. Because they desperately want to justify their sins they convince themselves and believe that Scripture supports their sins. Anyone who isn't trying to support their false conclusions, knows that the Bible doesn't support homosexuality. It is the same with Catholics. Scripture is used, in ways that are so obviously unintended, to support the false doctrine of so called veneration, which obviously amounts to worshiping idols, saints, pieces of bread and a little wine, definitely Mary and who knows what else.
Because you recognize and worship the true and living God doesn't mean that when you bow down to, kiss and pray to statues etc. that you aren't worshiping them. The Old Testament Israelites thought that they could worship both The LORD and idols, but our God is a jealous God.
You have no idea how old it gets when Catholics accuse those who are lovingly trying to warn them out of a system of false worship of hate, even though your own accusations of me and others of being haters border on being hateful.
I do not hate Catholics. I just hate the false doctrines that thrive in the Catholic Church. On the other hand, I very much appreciate the Catholic Church for many of the things it does teach and stand for. The Catholic Church, in doctrine, stands for the life of human individuals from conception until death. For this the Catholic Church must be commended. Also, the Catholic Church holds to the all important doctrine of the Trinity. The Trinity is central doctrine to true Christianity. The Catholic Church also wisely and according to Scripture believes that Christians are to be fruitful and multiply, not using contraceptives etc. This is important doctrine that the Catholic Church stands on. The Catholic Church stands against the sin of homosexuality. There are many, many more important doctrines that the Catholic Church stands on.
Though right about much, the Catholic Church must stop worshiping and being consumed with idol worship and advancing Mary to the level of God. By making her sinless, calling her co-redemptrix, calling her a mediator between God and man, feverishly adulating her, praying to her, giving her abilities that only belong to God such as being believing she has the ability to be everywhere, hear every prayer from millions at one time, answer millions of prayers at one time, play a central role in our salvation, whereby she is needed for salvation and do miracles as well as who knows how many other qualities that belong to God alone. Idolatry is a grievous sin. If you could stand back and look at yourselves you would know that idolatry is what you are doing, and though idolatry has a tremendous draw and can seem very spiritual it is totally sinful.
If I were a "Catholic hater" I could not appreciate so much about the Catholic Church. To call me a hater is an Saul Alinsky technique. You use it and you don't have to face reality. When you use Alinsky techniques it shows that you don't have truth on your side or you wouldn't have to resort to such tactics.
Sadly, many caught up in false doctrine never come out from them. The only way you will, is if you love truth more than your traditions and more than the sins that you are feverishly caught up in and consumed with.
For the “enth” time.....Catholics do not worship statues or pictures. They remind us to pray or ask for something through prayer.
Nor do we worship Mary.
We ask her to pray for us. After all, she is in heaven and close to her son.
Where, or where, are you getting these false accusations?
We are not “caught up” in falsehoods. Someone along the way has fed falsehoods about the Catholic Church to you.
Please read these apologetics essays with an open mind.
do you know the difference between venerate and worship? They don’t mean the same thing, but your answer seems to equate them.
Catholics expect to gain favor from statues, dead Mary, dead saints and pieces of bread and wine, etc. or they would not bow down to them, pray to them and keep metals and statues around their homes and cars. It is because they expect to gain favor from the dead and/or statues and metals. It is not like the average person who may have a picture on their wall to enjoy, but in no way expects to gain anything from it as a personality or thing of power.
Lev 26:1 Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up [any] image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I [am] the LORD your God.
**Catholics expect to gain favor from statues, dead Mary, dead saints and pieces of bread and wine, etc. or they would not bow down to them, pray to them and keep metals and statues around their homes and cars**
LOL!
Catholics expect to receive NO favors from a statue or a medal (not a metal) as you stated.
Please educate yourself.
I have knelt down to pray in church, and believe me, I do not expect the statue to answer me. LOL!
Epic fail in your reasoning. I’m sorry you received the wrong information.
..except for those who bury Joseph statues in order to sell their homes...and the Mary Lucky Lotto Candles...I’m sorry that those things actually exist and ARE done. C’mon. Don’t make me search for all the superstition and practices of Catholics.
don’t people of other denominations do the same thing?
Again, is a sacrifice be offered to the statue or icon?
That would make it an idol.
And that doesn’t happen. At least I have never observed or experienced it.
Some people may do this, but this does not make it Catholic doctrine. It is like the matter of contraception. . Catholic doctrine is that such things do not have magical powers. The same guys who do this sort of stuff may not even go to mass, may be as ignorant of Catholicism as you are.
Essays for Lent: The Assumption
Essays for Lent: The Immaculate Conception
Essays for Lent: Mary Ever-Virgin
Essays for Lent: Praying to Saints
Essays for Lent: Indulgences
Essays for Lent: Purgatory
Essays for Lent: Confession
Essays for Lent: The Eucharist
Essays for Lent: The Mass
Essays for Lent: Baptism
Essays for Lent: Justification
Essays for Lent: Tradition
Essays for Lent: Scripture Alone
Essays for Lent: The Canon of Scripture
Essays for Lent: Papal Infallibility
Essays for Lent: The Pope
Essays for Lent: The Church
Essays for Lent: The Bible
Essays for Lent: The Trinity
Essays for Lent: Creationism or Evolution?
I will continue to pray for you, Bellflower.
You are doing the decent and loving thing, may The LORD grant you light.
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